Fabric cutting, edge trimming, and rewinding machine



June 12, 1945- D. E. VAN MALDEGHEM ,2

FABRIC CUTTING, EDGE TRIMMING, AND REWINDING MACHINE Filed July 5,. 1944 S SheetEPSheet 1 'oAym EQVAN MALDEGHEM INVENTOR K ATTORNEY I D. E. VAN MALDEGHEM FABRIC CUTTING,IEDGE TRIMMING, AND REWINDING MACHINE June 12, 1945/ 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 3, 1944 DAVIDLVAN MALDEGHEM INVENTOR' MW Mw'w June 12 ,194 I D. E. VAN MALDEQGHEM FABRIC CUTTING, EDGE TRIMMING, AND REWINDING MACHINE Filed July 3, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 DAVID E.VANYMAL DEGHEM INVENTOR :BYW

- ATTORNEY Patented June 12, 1945 FABRIC CUTTING, EDGE'TRIMIVHNG, AND

' REWINDING MACHINE- David E. van Maldeghem, New York, N. Y. Application July 3, 1944, Serial No. 543,259

' .=;4 Claims. (01. 164-65) 1 'This'invention relates ,tofabri'c 'cutting ma7 chines and particularly to a. continuous cutting machine forming strips preferably/of uniform width such astowels, doilies, scarfs' and the like on' a continuous'production basis.

An-object of this invention is toiprovide a plural rotary knife cutting machineadapted to continuously convert rolls or bolts of fabric into uniform width strips substantially without manual intervention.

Another object of this invention isto provide rotary cutters mounted for slidably adjustable relation from each other so as tosever a rollof fabric intermediate its width and to trim both side edges of the fabric in a single operation.

Another object of this inventionis to providev a friction roller mounted at the rear of said table I with the upper surface of said roller positioned at the level of the top of said table, the friction roller having a felted peripheral surface adapted for-feeding fabric before attachment to a rewinding roller. l

, Another object, of this invention is to provide a drive shaft at the rear of the table and to mount the rotary cutters on arms to swing on the drive shaft to and from the table and to provide means for releasing one or more of thecutters from driving connection and swinging sameto inoperative position above the table.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cutting, edge trimming and rewinding machine for fabric having linear dividing lines printed thereon, the said machine comprising aplurality of rotary cutters which maybe moved as aunit into alinement with the linear dividing lines on the fabric to secure uniformity in the cutting operations in accordance with the design on the fabric 7 With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described,;and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims which form part of this specification. a

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

in which: V I Figure 1 is a front elevation'of the machine,

showing a bolt of cloth in operative position,

three-rotary cutters being in position for cutting the cloth into uniform widths and for trimming the edge portions of the cloth.

Figure 2 is aside view of the machine shown in Figure 1, showing the manner of engaging and smoothing the fabric while passing along a pre- I determined path on alining'rods, and the rewinding roller. jli-lgure 3 is a top plan also showing View of a cutter-carrying tioned in rectangularly spaced relation.

arm and rotary cutter in assembled relation on an enlarged scale,

Figure 4 is a view, partly in cross section, of a modified pulley mounted on the drive shaft, the pulleybeing diseng ageable from the drive shaft.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of-mechanism for locking the cutter arms and rotary cutters as a unit. L

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View of mechanism for controlling'the movements of the fabric guide panels.

Figure '7 is across-sectional view of a friction clutch for compensating for variations in diameter" of the rewound fabric on the rewinding roller.

. Figure 8 is a fragmentary side view of supporting means for the friction roller shaft and for the shaft that drives the rotary cutters.

Inthe illustrated embodiment of the invention the numeral l0 indicates. a plural cloth cutting 20 i4 is fixed to the frame at an elevation above the platform suitable for operating purposes.

QAt the rear of the frame H-is an upright extension I5 providin'ga'mounting for a drive shaft l6 fora plurality of rotary cutters I 1. A friction roller I8 is rotatably mounted in bearings 20. The friction roller has afelted peripheral surface adapted for feeding fabric in contacting'relation therewith by frictional engagement. Theupper surface of the friction roller is in line with the top of the table I4."

As best shown in Figure 2, each end of the frame H comprises channel-shaped legs 22, arranged to face each other, so as to provide an opening in which is fixed a rectangular panel 23. The panel 23 abuts the lower face of the table I 4. Alining rods 24 are fixedly mounted in openings in the panel and pass outwardly therethrough. The alining rods are preferably posi- Substantially at the central portion of the panels 23 are. openings serving'to receive an enlarged tubular alining "rod 25 which is held fixed in the panels. f

'It is to be noted that the friction roller [8 has a felted friction surface on its outer periphery and that this felted surface is adapted for feeding fabric by frictional engagement.

' Fixed to the rear wall of the frame II are this overhanging material" is sufiicient tofcause 2'; the friction roller to exert a drag on the fabric, whereby the friction roller is able to carry the cloth away from the rotary cutters and this movement of the cloth can take place without the assistance of the rewinding roller 36.

The drive shaft I6 is rotatably mounted in the rear extension I5 above the table I4. Slidably mounted on the drive shaft I6 are arms 3| having rotary cutters II rotatably supported in bearings 33 at the free ends of the arms, as shown in Figure 3.

In the embodiment shown, the mid-portion of each arm 3| is slotted to receive a pulley 34 which coacts with a pulley 35, suitably mounted to drive a cutter shaft 36. A belt 31 connects the pulleys 34 and 35 and serves for transmitting power from the drive shaft I6 to the rotary cutters.

Figure 4 shows a modified drive pulley 46 which may be used in place of the pulley 34, for the purpose of providing a means whereby the rotary cutters I! may be slidable with relation to the drive shaft I6 and be operatively connected with the drive shaft during rotation of said shaft. The pulley 46 is V-shaped at 4| to receive the belt 31. The shaft I6 has a keyway 42 which extends substantially throughout its length.

A radially movable key 43 is mounted in an aperture 44 at the mid-portion of the belt groove in the pulley. At the lower end of the key 43 is a reduced portion 4-5 which is of a size to be in slidable engagementwithin the keyway 42.

A spring-pressed locking pin 46 is slidable in the pulley 46 and is designed to selectively enter one of two spaced-apart notches 41. A knurled finger piece 48 fixed to the key 43 and slidable in a vertically positioned clearance slot 49 serves for raising or lowering the key 43 so as to bring the reduced portion 45 of the key in or out of engagementwith the keyway 42. A plate 56 suitably secured to the pulley 46 holds the spring-pressed locking pin 46 in tensioned engagement with one of the notches 41.

It is to be noted that by raising the key 43 out of engagement with the drive shaft I6 by means of mechanism heretofore described, it is possible to move any one of the rotary cutters out of cutting position and to an inoperative position shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figure 2, where the cutter arm and cutter rest upon a bar 52 secured to the upright extensions I5 at the rear of the machine.

The cutter-carrying arms 3| are pivotally mounted to swing on the drive shaft I6 to and from the table I4.

As shown in Figure 5, belt guards 53 may be suitably secured to the arms 3| which carry the rotary cutters. A bar 54 passing across the top of the arms and in contact With the belt guards may be fastened to the belt guards by clamps 55 pivotally mounted at 56. The clamps may have arcuate slots '51 inengagement with pins 56 on the belt guards. The mechanism shown in Figure 5 serves for slidably mounting the cutters in spaced relation from each other and to be movable as a unit to and from the table I4 and also movable as a unit lengthwise of the table. By moving the bar 54 all the clamped cutters I! move in unison and may be caused to follow the linear dividing lines as well as the trimming lines on the fabric as a unit. I

It is to be noted that when the clamps 55 are released, the bar 54 may be removed to permit any one of the cutter arms 3| and its attached a cutter II to be swung rearwardly out of operthe shaft and over which passes a chain 65 supporting a weight 66.

Each chain 65 passes through the tubular alining rod 25 in direction of one of the panels 23. The free end of each chain is secured to a pin 6! passing through a flange 68, which is suitably fastened to the panel 23. A coil spring 69 has its opposite ends secured to the pins 67. The pins 61 are'slidable in a slot III in the lower portion of the tubular alining rod 25, shown in Figure 6.

Elongated sleeves II secured to the flanges 68 and freely slidable on the alining tube 25 serve to maintain the panels 23 in vertically alined position.

Each handwheel 6| is adapted to cause s1idable movement of a panel 23 and make is possible to adjust the positions of the panels and the guide disks and guide the edge portions of the fabric along a predetermined path.

In order to compensate for the constantly changing diameter of the fabric on th r i ding roller 36, a friction clutch I3 is mounted on the shaft I4 of the friction roller I8. The friction clutch permits slippage of the friction roller I8 when the rewinding roller 36 has fabric Wound thereon to a large diameter and the rewinding roller tends to pull more fabric than that fed by the friction roller.

The friction clutch I3 comprises a pulley 12 having a friction surface such as leather I5, against which a belt drive idler pulley I6 is urged by a spring 11, as is well known in the art. (Figure '1.)

Operation of invention The operator places a bolt of fabric I3 on the platform I2. The fabric is passed over the large tubular alining rod 25, under the lower rear alining rod 24', over the top of the upper rear alining rod 24 over the upper front alining rod 24 under 9. front alining rod 24 over a lifting block I8 in front of the cutters I1 and extending transversely across the entire table I4. The fabric I3 then passes over the friction roller I8 and is then attached to the rewinding roller 36.

A belt 19 on an electric motor 86 drives a transmitter 8|, Whichis well known in the art for at will applying or cutting off power. The transmitter 8|, by means of a belt 82 is engaged with a pulley 83 on the drive shaft I6 and transmits power to the drive shaft I6 and to the rotary cutters H,

A further belt 84 drives the pulle IS on the friction roller I8. A belt mounted on the pulley I2 drives a pulley 66 on the rewinding roller 36.

As shown in Figure 1, a sprocket chain 96 has its opposite ends connected to the end carriers 3| of the rotary cutters. The chain 96 passes over upper and lower sets of sprockets 6 I, mounted in bearings 92 which are fixed to the upright extensions I5 of the frame. A handwheel 63 is secured to a shaft 95 which is fixed to one of the lower sprockets 9|. The handwheel93 serves for moving the sprocket chain 96 and for adjusting the positions of the rotary cutters. The guide the opposite side edges on a roll 95, Figure 2, that the fabric is first passed over a lower front alining rod 24 and then under the alining rod 24 and over the other alining rods as heretofore described. v

Inaccordance with thepatjent statutes I have described and illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention, butit will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of, the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In acloth cutting machine comprising rotary cutters adjustable for shearing textile fabric having spaced linear dividing lines into stripsof equal width and in one operation, a portable platform for supporting aroll or bolt of fabric, a frame, a plurality of horizontally supported alining rods positioned in said frame in rectangularly-spaced relation for engaging and smoothing said fabric, a horizontal table, a friction roller having its upper surface in line with the top of said table and being mounted at the rear of said table, said roller having a felted friction surface adapted for feeding said fabric by frictional engagement, a drive shaft mounted above said table, arms slidably mounted on said drive shaft and having rotary cutters supported at the free ends thereof, said drive shaft and said arms having pulleys connected by belts for transmitting power from said drive shaft to said rotary cutters, a power-driven rewinding roller'at the rear of said frame, a plurality of guide-disks slidably mounted in sets on opposite sides of said frame for guiding the edge portions-of said strip fabric along a predetermined path, said strip'fabric passing between said guide-disks, then rearwardly over said table, over said friction roller and being secured to said rewinding roller, said rotary cut I ters being pivotally mounted on said arms to swing on said drive shaft to and from said table,

means for slidably mounting said cutters for adjustment in spaced relation from each other, and means for releasing one or more of said cutters from driving connection and swinging same to inoperative position above said table, i

-2. In a cloth cutting machine comprising rotary cutters adjustable for shearing textile fabric having spaced linear dividing lines, into strips of equal width and in one operation, a portable platform'for supporting a roll or bolt of fabric,

a frame, a plurality of horizontally supported alining rods secured at opposite ends of said frame and being positioned in vrectangularlythe edge portions of said strip fabric along a predetermined path, said textile fabric passing between said guide-disks, then rearwardly over said table, over said friction roller and being secured to said rewinding roller, said rotary cutters being keyed to said shaft and being pivotally mounted on said arms to swing on said drive shaft to and from said table and means for slidably mounting said cutters for adjustment in spaced relation from each other.

3. In a cloth cutting machine comprising r0- tary cutters adjustable for shearing textile fabric into strips of equal width and in one operation, a portable platform for supporting a bolt of fabric, a frame, a plurality of horizontally supported rods spaced apart and secured at opposite ends of said frame for engaging and smoothing said fabric, a table, a friction roller mounted at the rear' of said table and having its upper'surface in line with the top of said table, said roller having a felted friction surface adapted for feeding said fabric by frictional engagement, a drive shaft mounted above said table, arms slidably mounted on said drive shaft andhaving said rotary cutters supported at the free ends thereof, means operatively connecting said drive shaft and said rotary cutters and causing said cutters to be rotated by said drive shaft, a power-driven rewinding roller at'the rear of said frame, sets of guidedisks lidably mounted on opposite sides of said frame for guiding both edge portions of said fabric along a predetermined path, said textile fabric passing between said guide disks, then rearwardly over said table, over said friction roller and being secured to said rewinding roller, said rotary cutters and said cutter arms being pivoted on said drive shaft to swing to and from said table, and means for slidably mounting said 1 tion, a' portable platform for supporting a bolt spaced relation for engaging and smoothing said fabric, a horizontal table, a friction roller having its upper surface in line with the top of said table and being mounted at the rear of said table, said roller having afelted friction surface adapted for feeding said fabric by frictional engagement, a drive shaft mounted above said table, arms slidably mounted on said drive shaft and having rotarycutters supporteda-t the free ends thereof, said drive shaft and said arms having pulleys connected by belts for transmitting power from said drive shaft to said rotary cutters, a powerdriven rewinding roller at the rear of said frame,

a plurality of guide-disks slidably mounted in sets on opposite sides of said frame for guiding of fabric, a frame; a plurality of horizontally supported rods spaced apart and secured at opposite ends of said frame for engaging and smoothing said fabric, a table, a roller mounted at the rear of said table and having its upper surface in line with the top of said table, a drive shaft mounted above said table, arms slidably mounted on said drive shaft and having said rotary cutters supported at the free ends thereof, means operatively connecting said drive shaft and said rotary cutters and causing said cutters to be rotated by said drive shaft, a power-driven rewinding roller at the rear of said frame, means slidably mounted on opposite sides of said frame for guiding both edge portions of said fabric along a predetermined Path, said textile fabric passing between said guide means, then rearwardly over said table, over said roller at the level of said table and being secured to said rewinding roller,

said rotary cutters and said cutter arms being pivoted on said drive shaft to swing to and from said table, and means for slidably mounting said cutters for adjusting the'spacing from each other, said plurality of rotary cutters being movable as a unit into alinement with said linear dividing DAVID E. VAN MALDEGHEM. 

